Child Brought Knife into School

[NormaSmith]

Would you expect a school to tell everybody if a child brought a knife into school?
I only know this happened as my dc was in the room when it was brought out of a bag. There was no threat or injury, I think the child was very naive.
So I received a phone call telling me the school have involved the police and are dealing with it. My dc tells me this child has not been in school since.
I am just surprised other parents haven’t been told and would have expected some sort of communication to all parents.

The child will be dealt with. It's not usual to share this kind of confidential information with other parents unless a particular situation warrants it.

If that child hasn't been in school since, you've got your answer. It'll be a PEx.

If the knife was handed over to a staff member without incident, there would be no need for broadcasting the information. Anyone whose child was in the room at the time has received a reassuring phone call. There will be no necessity for further updates.

Yes, absolutely.

Very probably yes. But this wouldn’t be communicated to other parents at the school! So the OP won’t know the answer to this at all.

At my kids school it is made very clear to all children from day one and repeatedly that bringing a knife is automatic expulsion.
when it happened I heard about it through the grapevine. Didn’t expect or get communication from school as none of my kids were affected. I’m sure there have been other occasions as it is a large london comprehensive.
In your case, yes you were told as you kid was there, no one else needs to know. There are all sorts of confidentiality and safeguarding issues around sharing this sort of information. As well as how’s it helpful for to know and then be worried.
At my DC school a separate bullying issue that did involve my DC (as a victim) lead to a child being expelled, and my friend who is a teacher there didn’t even know about it. They certainly don’t tell all the parents.

My son foolishly took a knife into school in primary to ‘show his mates’ they took it off him and called me in, there was no further action taken. I think it really depends on the situation and if it’s part of a pattern or not.

Absolutely this.

My dc didn’t stay in the room long enough to ask!

You're right. Often the majority of staff don't know, only those directly involved.

Of course other parents shouldn’t be told. I’ve worked with many schools for the last 30 years, and while the vast majority would immediately permanently exclude any student who brought a knife into school, for any reason, I would not expect other parents to be informed of this unless their child was also involved in some way.

All parents are not told - usually just communication with the ones whose children may have been party to the knowledge. We have some who can’t come in until they have been ‘wanded’ and have excluded a couple of others for bringing them into school. Most are very vulnerable rather than worrying g and it’s a reflection of the lack of provision for our most vulnerable SEMH students. Even when it’s gang related the same usually applies.

Yes, exactly this.

We weren't told, although my DC told me. Nothing appears to have happened to the child with the knife, they are a child with a diagnosis/label and a " tricky " home life. They appear to be Teflon behaviour wise. 🤷‍♀️

It's going to depend on context and a lot more, including potentially if a child was upset by it.

DD used to take a knife into school.

This was attached to her prosthesis, as her food tech teacher panicked at the thought of her cutting anything in the way she'd had since she was a toddler.
Personally I would not have fancied risk assessing the room with dd with a knife on the end of her arm, whereas she had never, and never has since cut herself when trying to cut food. So I hope the teacher enjoyed doing that risk assessment.
She only got it out for food tech though.